Refrigerator having condensate disposal means



y 17, 1949- H. s. CHILDERS 2,470,547

REFRIGERATOR HAVING CONDENSATE DISPOSAL MEANS Filed June 30, 1945 v 2Shets-Sheet l [10.00 [1 U U U [1!] INVENTOR HdrI 'y S' Childerfi 1%.; BYI I 1 U EFOW May 17, 1949. H. s. CHILDERS 47 7 REFRIGERATOR HAVINGCONDENSATE DISPOSAL MEANS Filed June so, 1945 2 Sheets-Shet 2 11v VENTORIIarrZ ,5. Childers BY A TORNEY Patented May 17, 1949 REFRIGERATORHAVING CONDENSATE DISPOSAL MEANS Harry S. Childers, Fresno, Calii'.,assignor to Vendorlator Manufacturing Company, Fresno,

Calif.

Application June 30, 1945, Serial No. 602,441

8 Claims. 1

My invention relates to electrical refrigerating apparatus particularlyadapted, although not necessarily, for use in automatic bottle vendingmachines for maintaining the contents of the bottles chilled forpalatable consumption as vended.

In such refrigerating apparatus as heretofore proposed there is provideda receptacle into which is drained the water or condensate from thecooling coil resultant of the defrosting operation. This requiresfrequent emptying of the receptacle to prevent its contents from runningover, and this occurs much too frequently in the commercial use ofautomatic bottle vending machines equipped with such refrigeratingapparatus, and thus it becomes a nuisance.

It is a purpose of my invention to eliminate this nuisance by providinga disposal system for the condensate which effects the completeevaporation of the condensate.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a condensate disposalsystem particularly adapted, although not necessarily, for use in arefrigerating apparatus designed for a bottle vending machine of thecharacter embodied in my Patent No. 2.290275, issued July 21, 1942.

Another purpose of my invention is the provision of a condensatedisposal system which embodies a condensate evaporating means that isentirely automatic in its operation, and is so associated with arefrigeratin apparatus that it utilizes the fan for cooling thecondenser coil thereof to effect the evaporation.

I will describe only one form of condensate disposal system embodying myinvention as applied to one form of refrigerating apparatus and both inassociation with one form of bottle vending machine, and will then pointout the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing in vertical section and partly in elevation. abottle vending machine,

including one form of refrigerating apparatus, and one form ofcondensate disposal system applied thereto.

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the condensatecollecting pan and how the conducting pipe is associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal" sectional view taken on the 'line 33 of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of P18. 4. I

Fig. 6 is a perspective view on a reduced scale showing parts of therefrigerating apparatus and condensate disposal system, and how the airis circulated to effect evaporation of the condensate.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of theseveral views.

My invention in its present embodiment is shown associated with a bottlevending machine of the character disclosed in my patent hereinbeforereferred to, and wherein a cabinet K is interiorly divided into a middlecompartment IS, an upper compartment l6, and a lower compartment l1.Within the compartment I5 is a carriage IQ for beverage containingbottles 20, the bottles being arranged radially in the carriage, andadapted by suitable mechanism to be discharged fromthe cabinet inkeeping with the machine disclosed in my aforesaid patent.

The carriage l9 includes a central structure 2| of skeleton form whichincludes an upper disc 22 into which extends a tubular fitting 23 whichis stationary, while secured to this fitting is a disc 24' which forms ahub for supporting the inner periphery of an annular and dished pan 25.This pan 25 is likewise stationary and defines the bottom of the uppercompartment 16. Within this pan is the cooling or refrigerating coil 26of the refrigerating apparatus, and the pan is designed to collect thecondensate emanating from the surfaces of the coil 26. This pan may beperforated as indicated at 21 to allow circulation of cold airdownwardly around the bottles in the carriage l9. To produce a forcedcirculation of such air, a fan 28 is fixed on the shaft of an electricmotor 29 supported on a bracket 30 secured to the disc 24.

As best shown in Fig. 2 the condensate collected in the pan 25 can draintherefrom through a pipe 30 which extends through the disc 22 andoutwardly through the fitting 23. where it is connected to a hose 31which extends downwardly through the structure 2|, then laterally at thebottom of the carriage IS, a bracket 32 holding the hose in thisposition, and finally downwardly into a receptacle which will be laterdescribed.

In the lower compartment 11 of the cabinet are arranged the otherelements of the refrigerating apparatus for circulating a refrigerantthrough the cooling coil 26. As best shown in Figs. 1 and3, suchelements of the apparatus are arranged adjacent one side wall of thecabinet, and they include a compressor 33 operated by an electric motor31, and a condenser 35 of coil form. In addition to the condenser a fan36 is fixed to the shaft 31 of the motor 34 for creating'circulation ofair between and around the coils of the condenser, in the direction ofthe fan, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. Of course, it will beunderstood that the condenser through suitable pipes is connected to thecompressor 33 and to the cooling coil 23, so that the compressed andcooled refrigerant is circulated through the coil 26.

The back wall 33 of the cabinet at the rear of the lower compartment i1is closed for a major portion of its length by a door 33 to leave anopening 40 at one edge of the door, as best seen in Fig. 3. As bestshown in Fig. the door is. by means of hinges 4 i mounted to occupy aclosed position, and an open position in which it is disposed atsubstantially a 45 degree angle, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The openposition of the door is defined by stops 42 on the wall 38 engagingprojections 43 on the door. These stops also operate with lips 44 on theupper edge of the door to releasably retain the door in closed position.

The door 39 has formed on its inner side a trough 45 which constitutes areceptacle for the reception of condensate from the discharge end of thehose 3i, the hose extending into the trough as illustrated in Fig. 1.Also extending into thetrough is a sheet 46 oi. absorbent or wick-likematerial suspended from a bracket 41. The character of this material 46is such that through capillary attraction the condensate in the troughis caused to saturate the sheet and this spreads the condensate over arelatively large area to facilitate evaporation thereof.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a partition 48 is secured in uprightposition to the bottom wall of the cabinet to extend inwardly from theopening 40 and thereby partition the condenser 35 and adjacent elementsof the refrigerator apparatus from the adjacent side wall of the cabinetall in a manner to define a passageway 49 leading inwardly from theopening 40 to the inner side of the condenser 35. It is through thispassageway that air under the action of the fan 36 is circulated intothe compartment I1 and then outwardly therefrom through the condenser35, and above the door 39 when the latter is in open position.

In operation, the motor 34 when energized functions to actuate thecompressor 33 to place the refrigerant under pressure and to deliver itto the condenser 35 for subsequent delivery to the cooling coil 26. Thusthe cooling coil functions to lower the temperature of air within thecabinet and,-through operation of the motor 29, the fan 28 is actuatedto circulate the cold air downwardly about the bottles 29 to reduce thebeverages therein to a palatable drinking temperature. Upon defrostingthe condensate from the coil 26 is collected in the pan 25 and throughthe pipe 30 and the hose 3 i, is conducted to the trough 45.Simultaneously with operation of the motor 34 the fan 36 is actuated tocreate a circulation of air inwardly through the opening 40, through thepassageway 49, outwardly through the condenser 35, and then exteriorlyof the cabinet between the upper edge of the door 39 and the wall 38,when the door is in open position. Thus the opening between the wall 35and the door 39 constitutes an air outlet opening.

During passage of the air from the condenser to the door it impingesagainst the sheet 46 so that the condensate absorbed by the latter fromthe accumulation in the trough is evaporated. The surface area of thesheet and the rate of air flow thereagainst is such that the evaporationprocess prevents the condensate in the trough a from overflowing'Manifestly, by this automatic evaporation of the condensate manualemptying of the trough to prevent overflow thereof is eliminated. Thatmy invention is particularly applicable to the refrigerating apparatusof automatic bottle vending machines, wherein th apparatus is providedwith means which operates automatically to defrost the cooling coil atthe required intervals, and as these defrosting operations are frequentthere is relatively rapid accumulation of the condensate whichnecessitates frequent emptying of any receptacle receiving thecondensate not provided with my invention.

Although I have herein shown and described only one system of disposingof the condensate of a refrigerating apparatus, embodying my inevntion,it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may bemade therein without departing from the spirit of my invention and thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination: a cabinet having a compartment therein, having an airinlet opening and an air outlet opening; an electrical refrigeratingapparatus having a cooling coil in said cabinet above said compartment,a condensate collecting pan for said coil; a fan for circulating airfrom said inlet opening outwardly of said outlet opening; and a disposalsystem for the condensate collected in said pan, comprising a door insaid air outlet opening having a receptacle thereon, means forconducting condensate from said pan to said receptacle and a wick-likematerial on said door, in the path of air leaving said outlet openingand so extending into said receptacle as to have contact with thecondensate in said receptacle.

2. In combination: a cabinet having a compartment therein having an airinlet opening and an air outlet opening; an electrical refrigeratingapparatus having a cooling coil in said cabinet, a

condensate collecting pan for said coil, a fan for circulating air fromsaid inlet opening outward of said outlet opening; and a disposal systemfor the condensate collected in said pan, comprising a receptacle insaid outlet opening, means for conducting condensate from said pan tosaid receptacle, and a wick-like material in the path of air leavingsaid outlet opening and so extending into said receptacle as to havecontact with the condensate in said receptacle.

3. A condensate disposal system for refrigerating apparatus having acompartment with an inlet opening and an air outlet opening, a fan forcirculating air from the air inlet opening to the outlet opening, and acooling coil; said system including a door for the air outlet opening, areceptacle on said door, means for collecting and conducting condensatefrom the coil to said receptacle, and means on said door disposed in thepath of air leaving the outlet opening, for absorbing condensatedeposited into said receptacle.

4. In combination: a cabinet having a compartment therein provided withan air inlet and an air outlet; a door for said air outlet mounted onsaid cabinet to be movable to an open position; a trough on the innerside of said door for the reception of a condensate; an absorbentmaterial supported on said door above said trough and extending into thelatter to have contact with and thus absorb the condensate therein; andmeans for circulating air inwardly of said compartment through saidinlet and outwardly of said compartment through said outlet so thatpartm'ent, means for collecting condensateirom the cooling means andconveying said condensate to'the reservoir, and capillaryattractionmeans for the condensate positioned in the reservoir and upwardlyextended therefrom adjacent the air outlet in the path of the aircirculated through the compartment.

6. In combination with a refrigeration apparatus having a cooling meanstherein and an air passage through which air is circulated; a condensatedisposal system comprising a reservoir mounted adjacent the air passageof the apparatus, means for collecting condensate from the cooling meansand conveying said condensate to the reservoir, and wick meanspositioned in the reservoir and extended therefrom into-the air passageand positioned in the passage for movement of air thereacross as the airis circulated through the passage.

7. In combination with an air conduit, 9. door pivotally mounted in theconduit for pivotal movement between a position in closing relation tothe conduit and an open position, a iiuid reservoir mounted on the door,and a wick borne by the door and extended into the reservoir, said wickbeing disposed in the path of air through the conduit when the door isin open position.

8. In combination with a refrigeration apparatus having a cabinethousing a cooling coil and having a compartment in the cabinet with anair inlet opening and an air outlet opening, means for circulating airfrom the air inlet opening to the air outlet opening, a door mounted inthe outlet opening for pivotal movement between a position in closingrelation to said outlet opening and an open position, a fluid reservoirmounted on the door, means for collecting condensate from the coolingcoil and conveying said condensate to the reservoir, and a wick borne bythe door and extended into the reservoir, said wick being disposed iormovement of air thereacross as said air is circulated from the air inletopening to the air outlet opening. I

' HARRY S. CHILDERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the filc ofthis patent:

UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Keighley'; Dec. 8, 1942

